The current will was very recent. Aviola made a new one when he married Mucia Lucilia.

‘I have been considering this subject,’ Simplicius declared, in a self-conscious, pompous way. Every time he shifted in his seat, a faint spearmint miasma wafted my way. Some diligent body slave kept him pleasant for his public. ‘His household knew that he was revising the document, so there may have been discussion of the contents. I was at the apartment when the lawyer brought the scroll to be signed; we had the usual gathering of witnesses. It was finalised in private, behind closed doors.’

I told him which slaves were under suspicion; Simplicius said none, not even the scribe Melander, was in the room for the will-signing. ‘Only witnesses were admitted. Mucia Lucilia was present, though of course she took no part.’

I managed not to growl at that. ‘Simplicius, it looks as if Aviola and Mucia were murdered by robbers, but if Aviola’s slaves attacked him as the vigiles suggest, I have to consider if the new will caused disgruntlement. There will have been talk about it, as you say.’

‘Unfounded rumours can influence staff,’ he agreed.

I said, ‘I am interested in two aspects. Were there any large bequests, ones that might make someone want Aviola dead in order to cash in? Don’t alarm yourself. This is something we always have to consider, when somebody dies in bad circumstances. Also, what does he have to say about his slaves? Who did he intend to liberate, for example?’

‘Or not!’ added Simplicius heavy-handedly, wafting more lotion scents in my direction. I smiled as if I thought him extremely astute.

Yes, I was ashamed of using flattery. But it is undeniably useful.

Valerius Aviola owned several hundred slaves, mostly of the rural type, working as agricultural labourers on his estates. He intended to free a hundred, the most he was allowed.

At this point, Sextus Simplicius finally had someone fetch the scroll and while I sat tantalised by its proximity, the scribe read out the hundred names. Juno, I had to listen to every one, even though most had no relevance because they worked on Aviola’s country estates. I chewed the end of my stylus, trying not to let my eyes glaze over.

None of the hundred manumissions were given reasons. A general heading stated briefly that all these slaves would be rewarded with their freedom ‘for their hard work and loyalty’. Of those on my list, only Libycus and Daphnus were to be freed.